The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-12
A RAILROAD HORROR.


The ordinary slow current of midsumm er
dullness is broken by the most terrible rail-
road accident recorded in American history.
The story of the frightful disaster will cause,
has already caused thrill of horror through
out the country and will plunge hundreds of
homes into sudden mourning Our dis
patches give full particulars and distressing
details. All the conditions were present to
make the accident one Of wholesale slaughter.
A heavily laden excursion train, packed with
happy human beings, unmindful of danger, is
suddenly in the dead hour of night hurled
to destruction, and by the breaking of a
bridge converted into writhing mass Of
mutilated humanity. The number of killed
will exceed one hundred, and this awful ag-
gregate will be largely increased by the list of
wounded, many Of whom will die. A major
ity of the excursionists were from Peoria,
ILL.,, though many smaller towns contributed
to swell the party. The killed and wounded
are similarly distributed, and the list will
spread grief and desolation over large Sec
ton of the country in our sister State.
After the first sensation of horror and SYM
pathy with the sufferers and afflicted the next
is one of Indignation that such accidents
should be permitted to happen. Somebody is
to blame. There is criminal mismanage-
ment somewhere, and if it could be located,
somebody should suffer. Such accidents
prove that either the system of railroad build
ing or railroad management in this country is
awfully defective. Perhaps both. There is
lack of thoroughness and of security and
durability in the construction of many Of our
roads, and degree of recklessness in their
management that calls loudly for reform.
Reports are somewhat conflicting to the
immediate cause of this accident, but it is
evident there was reckless management. An
overloaded train, running at high rate
of speed, dashed recklessly on to
wooden trestle, which is said to
have been weakened by fire. It is not
necessary to look further for causes nor will
the public be disposed to relieve the manage
ment of the road from responsibility. The
massing together of several hundred persons
in train of sixteen cars, hauled by two loco
motives, is necessarily attended with great
risk, but railroad managers seem willing to
assume it. An excursion train
generally runs wild and is in
constant danger of colliding with
some other train running on time. Should
railroad managers be permitted to take these
risks for the sake of making a little money!
Then there is the defective bridge. The coun-
try is full of them. Railroads that have to
pay their presidents, superintendent and
other officers big salaries economic by con-
tinuing to use rotten bridges long after they
are unfit for use. They play on the credulity
of the public, and test their rotten bridges
year after year with heavy train-loads of ex-
cursionists rather than reduce salaries and
repair their lines. Some of these managers
ought to be hanged. The State of Illinois has
railroad commission. It is to. be hoped they
have authority under the law to investigate this
shocking affair and locate the responsibility
where it belongs.